Facebook, GroupMe, Color Labs, Zoosk and Venmo are among the companies that are famed for using stand up desks. Startups are following suit for a couple of reasons as well. Several researchers state that ‘sitting is the new smoking’, hence a sort of revolution against sitting behind a computer desk the whole day.
Several diseases have been linked to sitting down and it is becoming obvious that our bodies are not made to sit for 8 hours straight. Individuals with spine injuries, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes have been encouraged to work while standing. As a matter of fact, working while standing has been proven to reduce the chances of obesity, reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic issues, reduce risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and in the long run lower long-term mortality.
A great option for stand up desks is Oristand, a new standing desk created by Ryan Holmes, founder of Hootsuite. After a back injury he sustained from snowboarding and judo, he was advised by his doctors to start using stand up desks. He then went ahead and tried making his own desk out of a carton box and mailing book, whose result was not the best and this inspired him to make affordable but functional stand up desks. He then approached Nathan Martell a designer and architect Steve Suchy to partner in making a cardboard stand up desks. After trial and error for a good four years, they eventually unveiled Oristand and delivered to the market on 13th January, 2016. He was particularly enthusiastic about the project since he is finally in a position to make it available for his employees. “The benefit for me as an employer is I want to get these desks in front of our staff,” Holmes says. “And when you think about $1,000 a head that’s pretty cost prohibitive.”
In comparison to other standing desks options that are out there for start-ups, Oristand is outstanding for a couple of reasons;
1. Reasonably Priced
Oristand goes for only $25 in comparison to NextDesk Terra, which goes for $1,497, its budget option goes for $399, Jarvis Bamboo $750 and ErgoDepot Jarvis that goes for $700. It is important for startups to keep costs low, and Oristand comes with the cheapest option available, by way more than a quarter of the 2nd cheapest option.
Oristand is made up of cardboard, which makes it manufacturing costs cheap. One might be skeptical when it comes to durability. Just as any other material, cardboards are sensitive by nature, therefore the need to be careful not to spill drinks on it, but this also applies to the other materials used to make tables such as wood. Just a little care will ensure that the standing desk goes a long way.
2. Stability
Oristand’s biggest substitute and competitor is the IKEA’s $22 standing table. This model combines an end table and wall shelf to make a two-tiered desk. Oristand has stood the test in terms of stability with the IKEA’s version of the standing table since it is not prone to tip. The IKEA version is a bit unstable since the top shelf has to have some weight on the top shelf to counterbalance the weight of the laptop when it is placed on the lower shelf.
3. Portability and Flexibility
Since the desk is foldable, it does not require a permanent desk in comparison to the other standing desks. This makes it very flexible to use. In addition, it is light (2 lb/0.9 kg) making it portable. Oristand desks are 100% recyclable.
4. User Friendly
No one wants a standing desk that is so complicated to assemble. Oristand desks have been famed for ease of assembling. When one does not want to use it, you just fold it and it is out-of-the-way, when in need, you just pull it out, refold it and in a matter of seconds, you have the desk available for use. It consumes very little time at and is not bulky, making it a great option.
This is particularly ideal for Silicon Valley in a sense that it is the home for fast growing companies are springing up day in day out. Just as the Oristand desks are not made to last a lifetime, it is a quick fix for these startup companies.
5. Outstanding Design
The desks are able to support up to 27 Kgs and a large keyboard area, with a lower and upper tier in case you have a separate monitor and keyboard.
With all the benefits that come with stand up desks, it is important to note that as much as sitting the whole day is bad for your health, standing the whole day has its set of disadvantages. A stand up desk that is easy to adjust, is durable, portable and pocket friendly offers the best combination in order to reap maximum benefits.
There are many options out there, such as stand only desks which are permanently meant for standing and are not adjustable, stand sit desks and desktop attachments. Oristand desks have been tested and found to offer the best experience at the lowest price; so much so, large companies like Snapchat and Uber have approached Oristand to have custom-made desks. In addition, many companies are now using Oristands as a form of advertisements.
